ot: personal question

[stonee]

anyone here have any experience with anti depressants?

i have strong family history of it, so the chances of me having some sort of mood disorder is highly likely.

its not so much the random moods that are killing me, its the other physical effects, and they're hitting me hard in school

-I never feel like im running at 100%. i hit 90 on a good day.
-tired all the time
-trouble focusing, especially when im "in a mood"
-feeling draggy all the time
-inapropriate emotional responses to situations
-exaggerated response to rejection
- the biggest one is lack of drive. i always want to do stuff, but I feel to "heavy" to actually get up and do it, and thats whats been killing me in school the most.

the biggest question I have, is if i'm still operating fairly decently, is medicine going to help? it would be nice to have a normal level of energy and drive.

however, what are the side effects? am i going to gain weight, and feel drugged up all the time?

is it going to be worth it?





i figured i'd ask a bunch of people i don't know

thanks!

[Machinate]

I am currently running on year 2 of anti-deps, and there are sooo many different kinds that talking about it online would be kind of useless. All I can say is that I function now

Now go see a doctor.

[morerecords]

..

[Moody]

Look at your diet and activity level first.

[morerecords]

After reading your post again, I really suggest B12 vitamins daily. I had all the same symptoms and did not figure out until I was 32 that I was lacking B12. It's common, and I know the sluggish symptoms well/.
My family has a history of anemia, when I got into that more I realized I was lacking B12. In my case, It was within a week of taking B12 supps that I noticed a staggering difference in my drive (and therefore happiness)

[djadonis206]

all joking aside

first give exercise and proper diet a chance

second thing what ever it is that has you in the dumps - stop it

find a support group, move, change your number etc etc

and if you still think you need meds go see a therapists (someone who can prescrib meds)

if you end up taking meds makes ure you get the proper therapy (groups, counselor whatever) that go along with what your prescribed

too many just think taking a pill will make it all go away and that's just not always the case

or listen to more gangsta rap

[stonee]

Chill with recreational drugs if you don't feel right. Those aren't good for you either, but everything is relative.

most solid advice I've ever heard haha


as for my physical and mental state,
I'm totally happy and satisfied with where i am, and what im doing. im over the im a teenager and my life sucks stage of my life.

im 145 lbs, no extra weight on me( which acually sucks because it means i sink in water)
im active most everyday, and I teach swimming ( which sucks because I sink in water)
my eating habits are a bit errattic, but I eat alot, and I eat healthy.

but, im deffinatly going to try upping the level of protien in my diet, and picking up some b12, and re-evealuate in a month.


thanks all!

I would still like to hear some more opinions and experiences with good drugs.

[andydes]

Whoa there!

Please don't start taking anti depressants just because there's a bit of family history there.

So you're in school / uni, and you're moody, emmotional and tired all the time? That sounds pretty normal.

Anti depressents are potent drugs that change your brain chemistry as much as a serious recreational drug habit would (but without the fun part). They should not be tinkered with likely.

Antidepressants are way overprescribed as it is. Often (not always) when the doctor doesn't really understand what was wrong in the first place. When they get it wrong, they can do a lot more harm than good.

Once you've had a full on breakdown, or tried to kill yourself, then start thinking about it.

And yeah, exercise is the best thing for energy levels. I've been rubbish about the gym lately, and I've been knackered for weeks.

[ethios4]

One thing I've noticed is that regular doctors sure love to prescribe anti-depressants, which should be illegal IMO (regular doctors prescribing the, not the drugs themselves). IMO, anyone looking into anti-depressants should see a full-on psychologist to be sure you are really getting what you need.

I've never taken anti-depressants so I can't really say. I always find that eating right, exercise, patience, and a spiritual approach to mental health get me through every problem I've encountered so far. I have no idea if this approach would work for everyone, so I don't take it as "the only way".

I have recently realized I have probably been suffering from a candida overgrowth since I was a kid. There are tons of possible symptoms of candida overgrowth, including depression, sluggishness, chronic low-level sickness, recurring sore throat, intestinal issues, etc. Your bowels have all kinds of bacteria and yeast going on, including candida yeast, which is normal. The problem is when candida yeast gets too strong, which often happens because of antibiotic use, which throws off the balance of intestinal flora. Candida also feeds on sugars, so a high sugar diet contributes immensely to the problem. Since I've been fighting candida my chronic sore throat has gone away, and I am less "sick" feeling everyday. I also feel much better, and lighter. Not sure if this applies at all, but this falls into the "eating right" category for sure.

[ethios4]

And yeah, exercise is the best thing for energy levels. I've been rubbish about the gym lately, and I've been knackered for weeks.

Definitely! I spent a few days last week doing manual labor cleaning up trees after the huge ice storm here, and I haven't felt so good in a long time! It was exhausting work, but I had a hard time going to sleep every night because I had so much energy and felt so freaking good!

[bgc]

"as for my physical and mental state,
I'm totally happy and satisfied with where i am, and what im doing. im over the im a teenager and my life sucks stage of my life. "

Why do you want to take anti-depressants again?

Definitely give it some thought before getting on a prescription. Maybe talk to a professional. We've all been there, studenting about, instructing some swim...take a break every now and then.

[andydes]

One more thing. When talking about mental states, even the best doctors can only go by what you tell them. There's no physical tests available to let them know what's needed. If you go and make enough noise, chances are you'll get a prescription, even if it's totally the wrong thing for you.

[Machinate]

all joking aside
too many just think taking a pill will make it all go away and that's just not always the case

You're right. That's why it's pertinant to go to a doctor! Besides, they're prescription drugs, too, so it's not something one can just "take".

I do see a tendency for people to be overmedicated on "happy-pills", but there is also scientific concensus about not self-medicating and thinking that you can just exersise your way out of depression. Esp Stonee doesn't sound like he needs more exersise. So I would just say: See a professional, don't self-medicate, nor self-"not-icate", as it were.

[nowtime]

Your description sounds like me!

I would highly reccommend "The Mood Cure" by Julia Ross. It addresses changing your brain chemistry naturally through diet and supplements. I followed it for about a year and felt way better. I never wanted to take pharmaceuticals because i do not trust "the man" who makes them. I'm sure they have positive value, but i would bet they have a considerable negative value.

I've been feeling really "heavy" lately too. Alot of people feel that way. These are heavy times and there is so much chemical and electromagnetic and psychic pollution in our fields, it's no wonder. I've been eating shit foods and not taking supplements and not getting enough excercise. I think I should crack open the Mood Cure again

Another big piece of the puzzle for me are the thoughts that are associated with low moods. Often times worry and fear can creep into my daydreaming and thoughts. There are good tools for catching these thought patterns and shifting them in the moment.

[thelike5]

-inapropriate emotional responses to situation

Can you explain this a bit further? Examples?

I agree with Adonis. You can't expect a little blue pill will help change everything for the better.

Here's my advice as I think I know where you are going with this...

That special girl in your heart really just wants you to put on a "whatever face". Be sweet to her to a degree, sure, but when the best emotional response you can have is a "take it or leave it" attitude. THIS ALWAYS WORKS. Take my word for it...

Try the B12. I heard that helps but can't vouch for it. I may give it a go myself.

Put away that Mogwai or Explosions in the Sky and cool it with the ambient drone for a little while. Fall back in love with Hip Hop. Boy, it's really good when you come back to Hip Hop after taking a break for awhile. There is so much good stuff out there. It requires a little digging, but man, nothing puts me in a good mood like a great new hip-hop disc and my Sony 7506's.


Seeing that you have a family history of depression you may seriously want to consider going in for help if you have tried your hardest following different self help advice (as posted here). Depresssion is a serious problem for some. Be careful but try and have fun.